Bottle-stopper.



A. L. CURREY.

BOTTLE STOPPER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 9. 1917.

Patented Sept; 10,1918.

[rufentBF' LHrUwr' I. Curreg ARTHUR I1. CURREY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BOTTLE-STOPPER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented 10, 1918 Application filed March 9, 1917. Serial No. 153,599.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR L. CURREY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Bottle-Stoppers, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forminga part of this specification.

My invention relates to bottle stoppers, and broadly stated the object of my inven-' tion is to provide a stopper of cork or other suitable material with means whereby the stopper readily and easily may be withdrawn from its associated bottle or other receptacle without using a corkscrew or other extraneous stopper removing device.

As will more fully hereinafter appear I provide a device, desirably in the form of an integral piece .of sheet metal, which is arranged to be inserted into the stopper conveniently atthe time the latter is made, the

device being conformed to lock itself into the body of the stopper when so inserted and thus to all intents and purposes to constitute an integral part .of'the stopper.

The specific embodiment of my invention,

4 hereinafter described and claimed, consists of a single strip of comparatively light sheet metal that has been bent or folded to provide a substantially T shaped device consisting of a comparatively flat head and a shank comprising two thicknesses of the metal strip disposed at substantially right anglestothehead. The shank portions of the device are conveniently, but not neces-' sarily, pointed attheir lower ends in order that the shank. readily may be forced into a cork or other stopper and upwardly projecting lugs are struck from the shank portions to prevent withdrawal thereof from the stopper when the shank has been inserted in the latter.

The device of my invention is characterized by the fact that while the stopper removing device is secured to the stopper solely by means formed on the removing device it-' self the contents .of thebottle'are not permitted to come into contact with the stopper remover.

In the accompanying. drawings illustrating my invention, 1

F gure l is a ver ical ctio l iew i11 s= 'how the initially flat head of the stopper removing device takes the form of a loop and thus affords a convenient handle after a knife or other available tool has been inserted in the flat head for the purpose of drawing the stopper from the bottle with which it is associated;

Fig. 3 is a plan view'of a blank from which the stopper removing device is made;

Fig. A: is an isolated perspective view of the stopper removing device, and

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view of the stopper removing device.

Similar characters of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

In Figs. 1 and 2 I have illustrated at 10 a bottle provided with a stopper 11 of any suitable material, but preferably. of cork. Indicated as a whole by the reference numeral 1:2 is the stopper removing device which characterizes my present invention. This stopper removing device is formed by folding the narrow and comparatively light metal strip shown in Fig. 3 along the lines 225-00. When thus folded the device resembles a T in shape and consists of a flat head '13 and a shank 14C disposed at substantially right angles to the head 13. Both the shank nesses of the sheet metal strip. The ends of the sheet metal strip are conveniently, but not necessarily, pointed in order that the device may readily be inserted in a stopper.

' After the sheet metal strip has been given the T shape conformation shown in Fig. I a plurality of lugs or cars a, a, b, b, eto., are struck from the shank portions of the device. The lugs of each pair are simultaneously struck from the shank so that the lug a lies over and against the lug a, the lug I) over and against the lug 6, etc. I prefer to have a plurality of lug pairs-project from one face of the shank and a plurality of lug pairs project from the other face of the shank, as shown in the several figures of the drawing.

In providing a stopper with the removing device the lower end of the shank 14 is placed at the center of the top of the stopper and the shank is thrust downwardly into the body of the stopper to the position illustrated in. Figs. 1 and 5. It is to be understood that the upwardly pointing lugs or cars a, a, 7), Z), etc, permit the shank to be thus inserted into the stopper, but effectually serve to engage in the stopper to prevent the withdrawal. of the shank. Due to the fact that both the head and shank of the device comprise two thicknesses of sheet metal it is possible to use comparatively light stock. Moreover, due to the fact that the stopper remover is inserted in the mid dle of the cork and the fact that the head extends in two directions from the shank it is possible to utilize a comparatively wide head even upon stoppers of comparatively small diameter.

As shown in Fig. 1, the head 12, being comparatively flat, normally lies imme diately adjacent the top of the stopper and is thus out of the way. When the stopper is to be removed from the receptacle a knife blade or other available instrument is inserted in the head 13 and pulled to extract the stopper.

I have found that, due to the character of the material of which the stopper remover is made. the head 13 will assume a shape substantially like that shown in Fig. 2 after a knife or other available instrument has been inserted in the flat head 13 to loosen the stopper from the neck of the receptacle. The loop thus formed thereafter serves as a handle portion that may be grasped for withdrawing and inserting the stopper.

It will be seen that after the stopper removing device has been inserted into the associated stopper the stopper and stopper removing device constitute an inseparable unit.

The specific form of device shown in the accompanying drawings offers a particular advantage in connection with cork stoppers having flaws or weak spots therein. As some, for example, that the stopper indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 5 is sound on the right hand side of the remover shank, but has one or more weak spots to the left of the shank. Upon the insertion of a suitable tool in the remover head and the subsequent pull thereon there is a tendency for the lefthand shank section to move upwardly due to thefact that the lugs 7) and (1 do not engage sound cork. The lugs a and c of the right hand shank section, however, engage in sound cork and are held against upward movement. lllovement of the lefthand shank portion relative to the right hand portion tends to cause the lug a to pivot on the lug (1, thus tending to give the lug a. a greater angle with respect to the shank and at the same time tending to separate the shank portions so that the lugs 7/ and 1' of the lefthand shank portion will engage in the stopper body.

So far as I am aware it is broadly new with me to provide an ordinary cork or other stopper with aremoving device of tlat metal. comprising a shank portion having retaining lugs or cars struck therefrom and entirr-l embedded in the stopper so that by no possibility may the contents of the receptacle with which the stopper is used come into contact with the metal remover.

I am aware that it old to provide a cork, or other stopper, with a removing device in the form of one or more wires or rods running longitudinally through the stopper from end to end and retained by some means located at the bottom face of the stopper. 1 am also aware that it is old to provide a stopper with a metal remover in the form of a bail or otherwise which embraces the cylindrical surface of the stopper and lies in the space between the cylindrical surface of the stopper and theneck of the receptacle with which it is used. lVhen these arrangements are employed, however, it is a practical impossibility to keep the contents of the receptacle from coming into contact with the metal of the remover, oftentimes causing corrosion of the remover and often more serious chemical. reactions if the contents of the receptacle contains acid that will react with the material of which the remover is made. The de vice of my invention obviates all objection on this score because the entire remover, except the head or handle portion which lies at the top of the stopper and thus away rom the contents of the receptacle, is embedded in the body of the stopper and terminates a substantial distance above the bottom. thereof.

I am further aware that in the past it has been suggested that a cork stopper be provided with a central depression or hole in its upper face in which. a wire or rod is anchored by sealing waX, cement, or the like. Such an arrangement is not feasible because sealing wax, cement, and the like are susceptible to rapid deterioration and breakage and furthermore because the additional cost of a stopper provided with such a means for removing it is usually prohibitive. In the case of my invention the remover is in serted into any ordinary cork or stopper and retained therein without the use of eX traneous anchoring means such as sealing wax or cement. It is not necessary to prepare an ordinary stopper for the reception of my improved remover and after my remover has been inserted it is retained in the stopper solely by retaining means forming a part of the device itself.

Having thus described my invention. what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A stopper remover comprising a head and a shank in the form of two flat memitself to provide a head and a straight shank consisting of two thicknesses of the strip, together with a pair of parallel lugs simultaneously struck from the two parallel portions of the shank.

i. A stopper removing device consisting of a head and a straight shank consisting of two immediately adjacent parallel sheet metal sections, together with lugs simultaneously struck from said sections with one lug extending through the aperture resulting from the formation of the other lug.

In combination with a stopper, a substantially T shape removing device therefor consisting of a single piece of metal, the central portion of which constitutes a head and the ends of which are folded back on said head and then'away from the latter at substantially its middle point to provide a shank consisting of two thicknesses of material, and a plurality of retaining lugs struck from said shank portions.

6. In combination with a stopper, 2. substantially T shape removing device therefor consisting of a single piece of metal, the central portion of which constitutes a head and the ends of which are folded back on said head and then away from the latter at sub-- stantially its middle point to provide a shank consisting of two thicknesses of material, and a pair of lugs struck from said shank portions with one lug extending through the opening occasioned by the formation of the other lug.

7. A stopper remover comprising a shank in the form of two fiat metal members lying in contact with each other and adapted to .be embedded in a stopper together with superposed lugs pressed from said shank members arranged to cause the latter to be spread apart when one of said shank members is moved independently of the other.

8. A stopper remover comprising a head and a shank in the form of two flat metal members formed integral with said head, said shank members disposed side by side, and superposed lugs pressed from said shank members with one lug extending through the aperture occasioned by the formation of the other lug.

In Witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 6th day of March, A. D. 1917.

ARTHUR L. CURREY.

Witnesses:

A. G. MoCALnB, MARY A. OO0K.'

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. 0. 

